Migraine
headaches are a common, chronic, debilitating neurovascular disorder.
Migraine attacks may start at any age, but the incidence peaks in early
to mid-adolescence. Overall, the one year prevalence of migraines is 11
percent: 6 percent for men and 15-18 percent for women in the United
States and Western Europe. The frequency of attacks is 1.5 per month and
each attack lasts about 24 hours. About 10 percent of patients have
weekly attacks, and 20 percent have attacks lasting for 2-3 days.

Five percent of the general population has at least 18 days of
migraine per year, and about 1 percent has at least 1 migraine attack
per week. Most patients in the United States have not seen a physician
for migraines during the previous year, nor have they been given a
medical diagnosis for migraines. Most of these patients use
over-the-counter medications versus prescription drugs due to side
effects associated with conventional therapies.1 The side effects
include, but are not limited to, dizziness, somnolence, impotence,
fatigue, dry mouth, and weight gain.

Treatments can be divided
into nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapies. Non-pharmacologic
therapies include lifestyle changes such as eliminating food triggers,
obtaining regular sleep and exercise, avoiding high stress situations,
increasing relaxation methods, becoming educated of the disorder, and
knowing of treatment options.

Pharmacological therapies that are usually prescribed for acute
attacks include NSAIDS, ergot derivatives, and triptans. Patients who
suffer from frequent, long endured, severe attacks should be candidates
for preventative therapy. Preventative therapy is recommended when the
frequency of attacks increase, or when the attacks become unresponsive
to acute therapy.

Types of medications used for preventive
therapy include beta-blockers, valproate, and tricyclic antidepressants.
Other promising drugs include gabapentin and topiramate. On average,
two thirds of patients who have been administered these types of
medications have had a 50 percent reduction in the frequency of
migraines.1

A mitochondrial defect is thought to play a role in
the pathophysiological mechanism of migraines based on MRS4 and DNA5
analysis taken from a subset of individuals. Coenzyme Q10, also known as
ubiquinone, is a naturally occurring substance and an essential element
of the mitochondrial electron transport. Coenzyme Q10 may have clinical
benefits for hypertension, angina, heart failure, and diabetes. Doses
up to 600 mg per day have been well tolerated. If a mitochondrial
impairment does in fact play a role in the pathophysiology of migraine
headaches, coenzyme Q10 may be used as a medication for preventative
treatment. An open label trial was conducted by Rozen et al. (2002) to
assess the efficacy of coenzyme Q10 as a preventative therapy for
migraine headaches. The study encompassed a total of thirty-two patients
(26 women, 6 men) with a history of migraines with or without aura.
Subjects included in the study experienced between two and eight attacks
per month, had a 1-year history of migraines, and had notreceived
medications 2 months prior to the trial. During the study each subject
was given a dose of 150 mg every morning of coenzyme Q10. Each subject
was also given a diary to assess their attacks addressing symptoms,
duration, and severity. Standard laboratory studies were conducted
baseline and after 3 months of coenzyme Q10 administration. The
percentage of patients who achieved at least a 50% reduction in the
frequency of headache days after coenzyme Q10 administrations was the
primary outcome measure.

Thirty-one out of thirty-two patients
completed the study. One patient was lost to follow up. A minimum 50%
reduction in the number of days with migraine headaches was seen in
61.3% of the subjects, and a minimum 25% reduction in the number of days
with migraines was seen in 93.5% of the subjects. No improvement with
therapy was seen in only two subjects. The average duration time for
each migraine declined from 7.34 to 2.95 days after 3 months of therapy
(P<0.0001). The mean frequency of attacks (mean number of migraine
attacks in the last 60 days of treatment) declined from 4.85 baseline to
2.81 by the end of the study (P<0.0001). After 1 month of treatment
the mean reduction of migraine frequency was 13.1% and increased to
55.3% by the end of the study. Coenzyme Q10 was equally effective in
patients with or without aura. In addition, no significant adverse
effects were associated with the administration of coenzyme Q10, and
coenzyme Q10 was well tolerated.

Based on this study, coenzyme
Q10 appears to be a promising choice for migraine prevention.
Placebo-controlled trials are now warranted to determine its true
efficacy in migraine prevention. Patients may choose not to use
conventional types of medications due to side effects such as impotence
and fatigue. Until further studies are conducted, coenzyme Q10 should be
considered for patients who have failed conventional therapy without
concern of significant risks.